A BURSAR who stole £100,000 from a primary school wrote cheques to herself, her husband and her son, a court has heard.

Susan Margaret Ashworth, 57, appeared before Judge Beverley Lunt at Preston Crown Court yesterday where she accepted stealing the money from her former employer, Baxenden St John’s CE Primary School.

The prosecution had alleged that Ashworth, of Dorset Drive, Clitheroe, had stolen a further £42,000 from the school in Church Avenue.

But the Crown Prosecution Service accepted her basis of plea which stated the £42,000 was made up of cash withdrawals from the school’s account, which Ashworth said was money owed to her for legitimate expenditure.

The case was initially listed for a trial of the issue on Thursday as Ashworth was claiming the money she stole was closer to £40,000.

But yesterday Ashworth’s defence barrister Tim Storrie filed the basis of plea to the court in which his client, who pleaded guilty to theft by employee and converting criminal property last year, in which she accepted stealing the £100,000.

Prosecuting, Maria Brannan said the Crown would not be seeking a trial of issue over the £42,000.

Ms Brennan said: “The final figure of £100,000 has been arrived at from the full amount of £142,000 minus the cash withdrawals.

“The £100,000 is the cheques that were written out to Susan Ashworth, her husband, her son or the school.”

The court also heard Ashworth has paid back £32,000 to the school, but there will be a proceeds of crime hearing later this year so the prosecution can try and recover the remaining £78,000.

The case was adjourned until July for Ashworth to provide medical evidence that she was too ill to attend her last two court hearings. Mr Storrie said the defence would be looking to obtain a cardiological report to support his client’s claim that she has angina.

Judge Lunt said: “I will grant this adjournment until July 27. But you will be sentenced on July 27. As I have made abundantly clear it will be a sentence of imprisonment. It is just a question of how long. So put your affairs in order.

“I will grant you bail until that date.”